Rope unraveling means



Aug. 15, 1961 c. F. HANSEN ROPE UNRAVELING MEANS Filed Aug. 23, 1956 United States Patent cc Patented Aug. 15., 1961 2,995,886 ROPE UNRAVELIN G MEANS Charles F. Hansen, P.O. Box 9, Alton, Calif. Filed Aug. 23, 1956, Ser. No. 605,758 7 Claims. (Cl. 572.3)

This invention relates to a method of and means for separating and unraveling the strands of wire rope.

From time to time it is desirable to unwind the strands of wire rope so each strand may be used individually for one purpose or another. One particular use for a single strand of wire rope is in the replacement of core strands of rope wherein in a subsequent operation a worn center strand of a wire rope is removed and one of the single strands of a distranded rope is inserted in the place of the worn strand.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a novel, simple and efiective method and means by which the respective strand of a wire rope may be individually separated from the remaining strands of the rope.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wire rope core removing apparatus to remove the core strand of wire rope without damaging the individual rope strands.

A feature and advantage of the invention is that in a single operation a multiple strand rope can be separated into three parts with the core su-and being entirely separated from the other strands,

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of the novel rope distranding tool with rope strands shown in section.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view partially in section, showing the tool of FIG. 1 and with rope in position for being unraveled.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus employed during rope distranding showing the relative location of each component.

The rope distranding tool comprises a spike A formed with a tapered shank 12 with a pointed end 13 to allow the spike to be driven into a supporting surface B such as the ground. The top section 14 of spike A has a flat head 15 so that the spike may be more conveniently driven into the supporting surface B. The top section 14 as illustrated in FIG. 1 has an enlarged area 16 forming outer edge sides or surfaces 17 and 18 each of which curves or bulges outwardly at 19 and thence curves inwardly as at 20, and thence is flanged outwardly as at 21 to form head 15. An aperture 23 is provided in the center of enlarged area 16. The wall of the tool forming the two sides 17 and 18 and the aperture 23 are barrier walls to separate strands of rope during a rope unraveling operation.

In operation of the device a wire rope of conventional type usually having six peripheral strands 25 and one core strand 26 is manually unraveled at one end for about a foot of length. The core strand 26 is then inserted through aperture 23 and a selected strand unit 31 comprising three adjoining peripheral strands is placed on one side of the spike, and a selected strand unit 32 of another three strands 25 is placed on the other side of the spike. The end of core strand 26 and the selected strand units 32 and 31 are respectively connected by U-shaped clamps 33, 33 and 33 to three chains 34, 34- and 34 The chains 34, 34 and 34 in each case function as a swivel connector to allow individual free rotation of each unit and the core member.

The three chains 34, 34 and 34 are connected to a powered vehicle or other prime mover, such as a tractor C, so the rope can be pulled past the spike when the tractor is moved away from the spike. The other end of the rope is connected by a swivel joint 35 including a chain 36 to a slidably movable weighted member 37 so the entire lengths of rope is free to rotate. The purpose of the weighted member 37 is to keep the rope straight and under tension and to prevent it from kinking.

When the tractor C is moved forwardly as indicated by arrow 50 the selected strand units 31 and 32 and the core strand 26 are separated at spike A by unraveling. The action of the forward movement of the rope on the spike causes the rope and each unit 31 and 32 and the core 26 to spin to keep the strands in a relatively fixed position in space which unwinds the two units 31 and 32 from each other and pulls the center or core strand 26 from the center of the rope.

Flange 21 prevents the units 31 and 32 from slipping upward ofl the spike during the distranding operation.

In a subsequent operation it can be seen that the three strands of each unit 31 and 32 may be separated with one strand going through aperture 23, and the two remaining strands going on either side of the spike. The strands are thence separated, as above described by drawing them past spike A with each strand and the unit of strand each being free to rotate while it is pulled.

It can readily be understood from the proceeding description that tool A may be mounted on the ground or on a stationary platform such as a table or the like and the swivel connections shown in the drawing as chains 34 and 36 could be any one of many swivel connectors common to the art. It is contemplated for the purpose of the specification that the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

It is claimed:

1. A device for unwinding strands of wire rope comprising; a fixed guide member having barrier walls to separate selected strands of the rope from other selected strands, vehicular means to draw the rope past said guide member, a swivel connector to attach the strands separated by each barrier wall individually to said vehicular means to allow rotation of separated strands independently of other strands while being drawn past said guide member, and means to maintain the tail end of the rope free to rotate as the rope is pulled past said guide member whereby said guide member causes said rope to rotate and the selected strands to unravel from each other as the rope is drawn past said guide member.

2. A device according to claim 1 and wherein said last mentioned means includes a weighted member attached pivotally to the rope to keep the rope substantially straight and under tension while being drawn past said guide member.

3. A device for unwinding strands of wire rope comprising; a fixed guide member having a first side, a sec ond side and an aperture between said first and second sides, each said side and said aperture arranged to form a guide path to separate selected strands from each other, vehicular means for drawing the rope past said guide member, a separate swivel joint connector to attach strands drawn past each guide path to said vehicular means, and means to urge the unraveled end of the rope to a substantially straight stretch, said last mentioned means rotatably connected to said rope to allow said rope to rotate when pulled by said vehicular means where by said guide member causes the rope and selected strands to unravel as the rope is drawn past said guide member.

4. A device according to claim 3 and wherein said first and second sides are formed with means to hold rope strands drawn past the guide paths formed'by the sides from sliding off said guide member.

5. A device according to claim 3 and wherein there is provided a support surface over which said rope is disposed to travel while being drawn past said guide member, said guide member being mounted on said guide surface, and a flanged ridge projecting outwardly from said ;first and second sides to .hold strands drawn past the ,guide paths formed by said'first and second sides from sliding off the guide member.

,6. A device for unwinding strands of wire rope having a plurality of peripheral strands and one core strand, a guide member having a first side, second side and an aperture between said first and second sides, each said side arranged to form a guide path to separate selected peripheral strands from each other and said aperture arranged to form a guide path to separate said core strand from said peripheral strands, said first and second sides formed to hold strands adjacent the sides from sliding upwardly off the member, vehicular means for drawing the rope past said guide member, a separate swivel joint connector to attach the selected peripheral strands guided by said first side, the selected peripheral strands guided by said second side and the core strand to said vehicular means so as to allow rotation of each independent of the other while being drawn past said guide member, and means to hold the tail end of the rope free to rotate while being pulled by said vehicular means whereby said guide member causes said rope to rotate, and the peripheral and core strands to unravel as the rope is drawn past said guide member.

7. A device for unwinding strands of wire rope comprising; a fixed guide member having barrier walls to separate selected strands of the rope from other selected strands, vehicular means to draw the rope past said guide member, and a swivel connector to attach the strands separated by each barrier wall individually to said vehicular means to allow rotation of separated strands independently of other strands while being drawn past said guide member whereby the lay of the rope acting against the fixed guide constitutes the sole force to impart rotation to the rope and strands as the rope is pulled past the guide.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,543,924 Jagger et al June 30, 1925 2,216,189 Ennis Oct. 1, 1940 2,342,163 Orwell Feb. 22, 1944 2,484,055 Shepard Oct. 11, 1949 2,552,673 Hansen May 15, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 385,207 Germany Nov. 20, 1923 837,040 France Oct. 25, 1938 

